Comments on: Why Not Drill Sideways? http://toolmonger.com/2007/10/09/why-not-drill-sideways/ All tools. All the time. Your source for news, information, and reviews of hand tools, power tools, and tools of all kinds. Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:23:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Clinton http://toolmonger.com/2007/10/09/why-not-drill-sideways/#comment-129053 Clinton Thu, 11 Oct 2007 15:52:36 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/10/09/why-not-drill-sideways/#comment-129053 Definitely probably great in a fix. I'd imagine most people who would use one regularly likely have drills built well enough to take the abuse occasionally. I use a cheap Ryobi hammer drill almost daily for over a year and I've abused it and sideloaded it frequently. The chuck has some wobble and slop in it that probably wouldn't be there if I'd only drilled straight down everytime but it's still going strong and close enough to true. Still I consider my Ryobi drill a quality drill in a budget package. It's defintely well above the level set by the $20 junkers that can be picked up many places. I'd expect a no-brand plastic wonder drill to smoke a bearing pretty fast with one of these bits. I have a set of saw bits from Harbor Freight that I rarely use because I'm not comfortable with the way the drill behaves when cutting to the side. I know a coworkers DeWalt's chuck bearings seized up shortly after he used a Spiral Saw bit in his drill to make several large drywall cutouts. Could be a coincidence or it could have just been the copious amounts of fine powdery dust but it's made me be a bit more hesitant of how I multi-task. Definitely probably great in a fix. I’d imagine most people who would use one regularly likely have drills built well enough to take the abuse occasionally. I use a cheap Ryobi hammer drill almost daily for over a year and I’ve abused it and sideloaded it frequently. The chuck has some wobble and slop in it that probably wouldn’t be there if I’d only drilled straight down everytime but it’s still going strong and close enough to true. Still I consider my Ryobi drill a quality drill in a budget package. It’s defintely well above the level set by the $20 junkers that can be picked up many places. I’d expect a no-brand plastic wonder drill to smoke a bearing pretty fast with one of these bits. I have a set of saw bits from Harbor Freight that I rarely use because I’m not comfortable with the way the drill behaves when cutting to the side. I know a coworkers DeWalt’s chuck bearings seized up shortly after he used a Spiral Saw bit in his drill to make several large drywall cutouts. Could be a coincidence or it could have just been the copious amounts of fine powdery dust but it’s made me be a bit more hesitant of how I multi-task.

]]> By: Benjamen Johnson http://toolmonger.com/2007/10/09/why-not-drill-sideways/#comment-128849 Benjamen Johnson Wed, 10 Oct 2007 23:19:44 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/10/09/why-not-drill-sideways/#comment-128849 Yeah, although hand drills aren't designed for side loading, a little now and again shouldn't hurt it too much. How many times have you tried reaming out a hole with a normal bit? I bet you put more stress on your drill doing that than with the 3D bits. I don't see these as an everyday tool anyway unless maybe you are an Electrician or Plumber. I envision putting a set of these in your go bag or box, replacing a set of spade bits. If you are in your shop chances are you have a better tool for the job. Yeah, although hand drills aren’t designed for side loading, a little now and again shouldn’t hurt it too much. How many times have you tried reaming out a hole with a normal bit? I bet you put more stress on your drill doing that than with the 3D bits.

I don’t see these as an everyday tool anyway unless maybe you are an Electrician or Plumber. I envision putting a set of these in your go bag or box, replacing a set of spade bits. If you are in your shop chances are you have a better tool for the job.

]]> By: Clinton http://toolmonger.com/2007/10/09/why-not-drill-sideways/#comment-128835 Clinton Wed, 10 Oct 2007 22:14:24 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/10/09/why-not-drill-sideways/#comment-128835 In a nice drill I'd say these look pretty cool but I can see one of these things quickly causing the death of a lesser drill when you side-load the bearings trying to cut sideways. Back when I did robotics competitions in high school we used to drill motors/transmissions for many things. The only thing that killed them faster than a side-load was stalling them until they smoked. I imagine the chuck in an actual complete drill would help isolate the motor/transmission but I would think that it would probably wear out much faster from the side-loads that it wasn't designed to take. It's a drill not a mill after all. Definitely a neat bit to have and I can think of a few times I would have loved to have one but I'd be hesitant to pull it out to do jobs better suited to other tools (router, spiral saw, etc). In a nice drill I’d say these look pretty cool but I can see one of these things quickly causing the death of a lesser drill when you side-load the bearings trying to cut sideways. Back when I did robotics competitions in high school we used to drill motors/transmissions for many things. The only thing that killed them faster than a side-load was stalling them until they smoked. I imagine the chuck in an actual complete drill would help isolate the motor/transmission but I would think that it would probably wear out much faster from the side-loads that it wasn’t designed to take. It’s a drill not a mill after all. Definitely a neat bit to have and I can think of a few times I would have loved to have one but I’d be hesitant to pull it out to do jobs better suited to other tools (router, spiral saw, etc).

]]> By: crashin http://toolmonger.com/2007/10/09/why-not-drill-sideways/#comment-128773 crashin Wed, 10 Oct 2007 17:17:17 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/10/09/why-not-drill-sideways/#comment-128773 I saw these or something similar at Infocomm. Kind of an odd market but the demonstration was pretty cool. I saw these or something similar at Infocomm. Kind of an odd market but the demonstration was pretty cool.

]]> By: Zathrus http://toolmonger.com/2007/10/09/why-not-drill-sideways/#comment-128758 Zathrus Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:40:01 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/10/09/why-not-drill-sideways/#comment-128758 I'm actually in the UK right now (and will be for a couple more weeks); it looks like the US pricing is significantly cheaper than the UK pricing -- the 4 piece sets are £35 (about $70) here! Of course, so far just about everything seems to be about 2x the cost here, so that's not real surprising. I’m actually in the UK right now (and will be for a couple more weeks); it looks like the US pricing is significantly cheaper than the UK pricing — the 4 piece sets are £35 (about $70) here!

Of course, so far just about everything seems to be about 2x the cost here, so that’s not real surprising.

]]> By: Fred B http://toolmonger.com/2007/10/09/why-not-drill-sideways/#comment-128730 Fred B Wed, 10 Oct 2007 13:16:14 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/10/09/why-not-drill-sideways/#comment-128730 I have/had a set from Milwaukee that looks the same, that I got a year or so ago. Four (4) bits, plastic case, just can not think of what Milwaukee was calling them. I have/had a set from Milwaukee that looks the same, that I got a year or so ago. Four (4) bits, plastic case, just can not think of what Milwaukee was calling them.

]]> By: Benjamen Johnson http://toolmonger.com/2007/10/09/why-not-drill-sideways/#comment-128534 Benjamen Johnson Tue, 09 Oct 2007 22:27:30 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/10/09/why-not-drill-sideways/#comment-128534 Well I was wrong. I just assumed that since there were zero hits for the US online (tons for the UK though) besides Rockler, that nobody else was selling these. I wonder if just a few local Walmarts are selling these or if it is a nation wide thing. I really hate it when you can't look online to see what is in the store. Stores that sell tools really need to get better about this. I never have to waste my time shopping at electronics stores like Best Buy and Circuit City. I just look on their site to see if they have want I want in stock, most of the time I can purchase it right online, then drive to the store and pick it up, no wait, no wasted time shopping. Well I was wrong. I just assumed that since there were zero hits for the US online (tons for the UK though) besides Rockler, that nobody else was selling these. I wonder if just a few local Walmarts are selling these or if it is a nation wide thing.

I really hate it when you can’t look online to see what is in the store. Stores that sell tools really need to get better about this. I never have to waste my time shopping at electronics stores like Best Buy and Circuit City. I just look on their site to see if they have want I want in stock, most of the time I can purchase it right online, then drive to the store and pick it up, no wait, no wasted time shopping.

]]> By: Matt Bretz http://toolmonger.com/2007/10/09/why-not-drill-sideways/#comment-128489 Matt Bretz Tue, 09 Oct 2007 20:25:10 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/10/09/why-not-drill-sideways/#comment-128489 I saw these at my local Wal-Mart yesterday. I saw these at my local Wal-Mart yesterday.

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